User Login Request a Demo
User Login Request a Demo

Waukesha School District Case Study

 

Overview

After a devastating parade attack, the Waukesha School District needed more mental health support than ever before. Now, one year after the incident, Care Solace is still providing value by taking care of lingering trauma — and uncovering additional challenges within the community. 

high school students

 

At a glance

12k+

K-12 students

 

16.8k+

communications saved to coordinate care in 1 year

 

128%

increase in appointments

*compared to national average

Challenges

In the wake of the parade tragedy, the Waukesha School District needed an immediate tool to cope with the increased mental health needs of their community. They also needed long-term support to individuals dealing with the trauma resulting from the attack. Marc Lehnerer, Director of Student Services, says they also learned there were unaddressed challenges with adults in their community.

immediate pathways to mental health care

Immediate Pathways to Mental Health Care

The Waukesha School District needed support that could easily integrate into their existing systems immediately after the parade. "In education," Lehnerer says, "you deal with the next fire in front of you. On our own, we just can't facilitate the help every family needs."

long term availability and support

Long-term Community-Wide Access to Ongoing Support

After the initial crisis response, the Waukesha School District needed help connecting community members to ongoing support.

network of mental health support

Additional Help to Aid in Adult Well-Being

In addition to trauma from the parade incident, the adult community had its own issues. From parents experiencing marital issues to staff wanting to access care anonymously, supporting adult well-being was clearly a need.

Solutions

 

District leadership needed a solution that would help them care for their community's increasing and ongoing mental health needs. They onboarded Care Solace to quickly connect students, school staff, and their families to quality mental health and substance use treatment providers for the following reasons:

 

increasing access to mental health care

 

Quick Activation of Services

After the tragedy, the Waukesha School District's mental health needs were at an all-time high. The district needed a solution that was easy to implement and would quickly become available to the community. Thankfully, Care Solace is a turnkey solution without any integration needs that can slow down the process. Lehnerer says, "We had peace of mind knowing Care Solace could be an immediate, meaningful resource for families."

Wrap-Around Support

Even with a robust MTSS in place, the Waukesha community needed additional support immediately. Care Solace offered its services for free to the district. After implementation, Waukesha School District experienced so much value that they moved forward with a paid contract to support its community for the long term.

Universal Access to Care

After analyzing Care Solace utilization data, it was clear to the Waukesha School District that the services served not only the students but also parents and staff. There was a significant uptick in parents seeking support for marital issues, and, as Lehnerer, notes, "What impacts parents, impacts kids." Although Waukesha District had an EAP, staff began to lean on Care Solace more heavily because it provides much-wanted anonymity.

Universal Access to Care

After analyzing Care Solace utilization data, it was clear to the Waukesha School District that the services served not only the students but also parents and staff. There was a significant uptick in parents seeking support for marital issues, and, as Lehnerer, notes, "What impacts parents, impacts kids." Although Waukesha District had an EAP, staff began to lean on Care Solace more heavily because it provides much-wanted anonymity.

Let's talk more.

 

Request a Demo    Contact Us

Care Solace Impact report
(December 2021 - December 2022)

16.8K+ communications saved

On average, each communication takes 6 minutes, which means Care Solace saved school health professional staff 70 days of valuable time. 

128% increase in booked an appointment

When an individual navigates the mental health care system on their own, on average only 18% book an appointment due to barriers within the system. With the help of Care Solace, 41% booked an appointment.

Anxiety top mental health concern

Anxiety was the top mental health concern for each age group, including children 3-11. Care Solace found care matched to specific needs, such as anxiety, depression, and trauma, for people of all ages.

 

25%+ of referrals were for adults in 2022

Care Solace provides a community-wide solution and supports not only students, but also Waukesha's school staff and family community in their mental health needs.

 

quote brown
It’s knowing you can provide a resource to a family that is going to be meaningful. That feeling of when they get information about Care Solace, whether website or phone number, they know they're immediately going to want to talk to you, and they're immediately going to want to get this going.
Marc Lehnerer
Director of Student Service

Conclusion

When the Waukesha community was hit with the parade tragedy, Care Solace offered its help immediately to better serve the increasing mental health needs of the district. After implementation, it was clear that Care Solace was providing value to the entire community, students, staff and families. Now, thanks to Care Solace, the entire Waukesha community has equitable access to pathways to mental health care to support long-term trauma from the parade incident and many other challenges as well.

Let’s chat about how Care Solace can work alongside you.

 

Request a Demo